Premium
Commode Cardia—Death by Valsalva Maneuver: A Case Series
Author(s) -
FisherHubbard Amanda O.,
Kesha Kilak,
Diaz Francisco,
Njiwaji Chantel,
Chi PaoLin,
Schmidt Carl J.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.13196
Subject(s) - medicine , valsalva maneuver , incidence (geometry) , sudden death , disease , population , sudden cardiac death , toilet , cause of death , cardiology , blood pressure , pathology , environmental health , physics , optics
The Valsalva maneuver is used in clinical medicine for the diagnosis and/or treatment of various cardiovascular conditions. It can also be used in activities of daily living, such as defecation. Due to the cardiovascular effects produced during the Valsalva maneuver, it may be contraindicated in certain medical conditions and could be a trigger of sudden cardiac death. The incidence and prevalence of death following Valsalva maneuver in the presence of underlying cardiovascular disease, or “commode cardia,” has not been examined. In 2012, the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office (Detroit, MI ) investigated 21 deaths that occurred on the toilet, fourteen of which were due to cardiovascular disease. In another 31 deaths in the bathroom due to cardiovascular disease, the possibility that the decedent defecated immediately prior to death could not be excluded. Hence, the incidence of commode cardia in this population ranges from 2.3 to 7.4% of all cardiovascular‐related deaths.